


To Live Again

by OverlordPenguin



Category: Disney Princesses, Frozen (2013)
Genre: Afterlife AU, Anna/Rapunzel, But still some incest, Death, Elsa & Rapunzel are Sisters, Elsa (Disney) Has Ice Powers, F/F, Love/Hate, Magic, Rapunzel Has Healing Powers, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Slowburn Elsanna, Sort Of, Unrelated Anna/Elsa (Disney), non-incest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-05-13 15:21:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14751395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OverlordPenguin/pseuds/OverlordPenguin
Summary: Anna wakes up in an unfamiliar place surrounded by strange people with no memories to hint at how she ended up there. It doesn't take her long to realize she doesn't belong there. Now she must convince the most powerful beings in the land - affectionately called The Royal Sisters - to help her figure out how she got there and how to get back home, all while trying to avoid unearthing a long-standing tension between the sisters. But then again, Anna was always a curious girl.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I always try to keep people aware of tag changes, so please note that I did make some changes to the tags. I don't want things to come as a shock at any point.

Panic shot up in her chest and she launched herself to her feet, eyes scanning frantically all around her for the danger she knew surrounded her. Her breaths were harsh and shallow. Searching. Searching, but there was no one rushing at her, no rocks being thrown, and… she was free.

_Did they release me?_

__

__

_No, that is impossible. They know what we can do._

Sure enough though, she was able to walk around. There were no boards holding her in place. Light licked across her naked skin. The agonizing crushing pressure was gone. She searched her body but there was nothing. No scarred words. None of her own bial murking her body.

Had… had it all been a dream?

_No. Nothing so vivid could be a dream. If nothing else, that pain was real._

She racked her brain as she took in her surroundings. There was nobody else around. She stood in the middle of a dirt plane - gods, how am I standing? Was she going crazy? Or did she…

“Sister!”

Before she could even process the familiar sound, she found herself being enveloped, and it took a few seconds for the panic of the sudden contact to leave her. It took a few moments more for her to recognize the long mane of bright blonde that cascaded around them and the big green eyes that looked at her, filled with love and hope. Two things she had forgotten.

Still, she brought her arms up and around the girl’s equally naked form, grateful for the warmth. For the loving contact. She latched on to the comforting familiarity of it all.

“Rapunzel,” she breathed into the shorter girl’s neck. “Thank the gods, you are okay.”

Rapunzel’s arms dropped as she stepped back, her eyes darkening into something her sister could not understand. Such sadness looked foreign on her little sister’s face. It would probably suit her better.

The shorter blonde seemed to struggle with herself as she tried to find whatever words she was searching for. Finally, Rapunzel took her older sister’s hand and brought it to her chest, biting her lip throughout the whole movement. Icy blues searched her younger sister, hand unmoving as she waited for whatever it was her sister was trying to express to her.

Ten seconds passed. Fifteen. Thirty. Nothing. But with every passing second her younger sister broke down further and deeper into tears. After a minute, her sobs were loud and heartbreaking, but her older sister still felt nothing.

And then it donned on her, like something knocked the wind from her lungs. She felt nothing... and that was the problem. Panic found its way back into her chest with renewed strength and fervor.

“We… did we…?”

Rapunzel nodded, latching onto her sister again as her body shook with the intensity of her sobs. The older girl struggled to hold back her own tears, tilting her head towards the reddish-orange sky. Despite her best efforts, the salty tears rolled meekly down her freckled cheeks. She bit her lip, but the pain was nothing compared to the knowledge of what they now were.

She didn’t deserve this. Not her sister. Someone who cared so much for others that she risked everything for complete strangers. Any that knocked at their door received the warmth and hospitality of a longtime friend, despite her own protests. Her sister was an angel on Earth, more than any of them deserved. Not like her. She knew she deserved this. She did nothing for anyone. She was her little sister’s sword and shield, and would strike down anyone in cold blood to protect the younger girl. She would kill them all, and gods did she try. Despite her sister’s protests. Her pleading. Her tears…

But that was all for naught now. She couldn’t protect them. She failed.

She brought her hand to the girl’s hair, relishing in the feeling of life and magic that flowed through each strand of blonde. Suddenly, her younger sister stepped back, staring at her with doe-like eyes, grabbing her hand and examining them beyond their flesh.

“What… what did they do to you?” 

Rapunzel tangled her locks around different areas of her sister’s arms, short gasps and choked sobs every time she channeled her magic through them until the older girl couldn’t take the pained expressions her sister made with each new discovery and pulled her arms away. Apparently though her skin may have healed and she doesn’t feel the pain anymore, the ghost of her injuries still linger. The tears that shimmered across those caring eyes were heartbreaking… if that was at all still possible.

“What did they do to you,” she sobbed brokenly.

“That is not important right now.” The platinum blonde dismissed her concerns. Her sister didn’t deserve to be haunted with the knowledge of the atrocities those… monsters suffered her through. Just the mere thought of what they had put her through under the guise of ‘trials’ and ‘justice’ sickened her and filled her with a burning hatred like she had never felt before. Not that it mattered now. “I believe I can see something, a village maybe, in the distance. Perhaps we should seek our understanding there. Or at least we would be able to cover ourselves.” She took a shot at humor despite herself, which was worth the small smile that finally broke on her sister’s face. Yes, she looked so much better this way.

“Suppose we are not welcomed,” she nearly whispered it. Normally her sister would never consider something of the sort, but after what they had been through…

“Then I will be your sword and shield as always dear sister,” she assured the girl, conjuring a blade of jagged ice to her fist and swiping at the air to prove her point. “Besides, what can they do? Kill us?”

Perhaps that last joke was in poor taste. Rapunzel obviously did not appreciate that one so well. Still the older sister marched forward toward the large silhouettes in the distance, ignoring her younger sister’s concerned stares.

She ran her hands through her wild platinum blonde locks, whispering her mantra beneath her breath as she willed whatever strength she could find. She must be strong.

“Elsa…” her younger sister pointed into the distance, something kicking sand up wildly as it sped towards them from the opposite direction of their destination. 

Taking in a deep breath, Elsa formed a large shield of thick ice, anchoring it along her forearm as she lifted her jagged sword towards the approaching enemy.

She must be strong.


	2. Peculiar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: The chapter before this was a prologue and now we'll be diving into the actual story. Just wanted to make that clear.

Pain.

Unbearable throbbing pain.

Blood pounded through her veins in a burst, worsening an already splitting headache. She could see nothing but shadowy figures passing by her, silhouettes blurred against the backdrop of a bright green light that slowly consumed itself out of existence. The dull glow of a setting sun took its place.

One by one she stretched her fingers out, testing them to make sure they were all still working. She followed the same procedure for her toes. Everything was there and in working order.

She groaned, face pressed against the hot dirt. Hands gripped the ground beneath her and she forced herself to her knees, brushing dirt out of her strawberry blonde braids and picking rocks from their tangled twists. It took a few moments for the figures to become clear and she could make out their features.

The men and women that passed her spared her but a short glance, grossly unconcerned with her well-being and going through the motions of daily living while she kneeled in the dirt groaning because of the pounding in her skull.

The redhead finally stood completely, noticing that she seemed to be in the center of some kind of market. The road was narrow and shops were set up on either sides of her, people buzzing about in lively chatter as they traded goods; mostly cloths, decorations, and books it seemed. It was actually surprising how few food stands there were and judging by the outrageous rumbling in her stomach, she knew she needed to visit one of them fast. Maybe it would even help with her headache. _Hunger headaches are a thing right?_

Hands went instinctively down to reach into pockets, but when she felt nothing but bare skin, she noticed for the first time that she was as naked as the day she was born. Hands covered her most private parts instinctively, one shooting to cup between her thighs while her other arm slung across her chest, her whole body tinged a bright red.

A few looked over at her amused, but nowhere near the amount one would expect from being out in public stark naked. Even those few lost interest pretty quickly, going back to whatever conversations or bargaining they were engaging in beforehand.

“Yoohoo!” a distinctive voice called out from behind her. A merchant built like a brick wall stood behind his stall, fingers pressed together excitedly as he watched the girl with childlike joy in his eyes. Behind him was a large wooden cabin, one of the few buildings in the market area, the door to which seemed to be replaced with a bright red curtain. “You’re new here,” he pointed out with a thick accent she couldn’t identify.

“Yes.” She approached his stall awkwardly, still painfully aware of her thin freckled body being on full display. “My name is Anna, and I’m not sure how I got here or why I’m, ya know…”

“Naked?” His bluntness renewed her blush and his roaring laughter intensified it. “You probably took a hit to the ole noggin, you’ll remember everything in due time though.”

“Everything?” Anna was taken aback by how he spoke so confidently. Did he know something? “Do you know how I got here?”

“In a sense, ja,” he nodded keenly. “There’s only one way anyone comes here really, but I don’t think it wise to tell you before you remember on your own. Until then,” he pulled across the curtain, revealing the inside to what looked like some sort of traveler’s rest stop. Anna could see chairs strewn all over the place, a few clients already relaxing in the seats cradling mugs, a few of which sharing in her naked freedom. “You can rest up here for a while free of charge since you’ve just arrived. Just remember Oaken’s Post for future rest stop and supply needs, ja?”

Anna laughed despite herself. “Of course, thank you.” The growling in her stomach reminded her of another issue. “Would you also happen to sell food here? I’m very hungry.”

In a second his jovial expression fell and his brows furrowed. “You’re… hungry?”

“Starving.” Anna drawled, hoping that she wasn’t being too demanding. He was already offering her a free bed to rest in. The food was really her first priority though. _Then this blasted headache._

“You… what?” It looked like the gears in his brain were working overtime to process her request as he took a few steps back. He looked at her as if she was a monster. “That shouldn’t be possible,” Oaken breathed.

“I’m sorry what?”

“You can’t be hungry. It’s not physically possible.” He explained as if he was trying to convince himself more than anything. It certainly wasn’t doing any good against Anna, her face twisting up into an expression somewhere between amusement and confusion.

“Tell that to growls-a-lot over here.” Anna joked, rubbing her stomach with the hand that once draped over her breasts. As if to make a point, her stomach roared embarrassingly loud. Loud enough that many of the conversations that were spitballing directly around her suddenly went silent. The words on the surrounding towns folks’ lips died immediately. Suddenly and for the first time, everyone’s eyes fell on her.

Soon the silence spread through the whole market like a wave, rippling from Anna, who stood at the epicenter of everyone’s attention. The redhead gave a nervous chuckle as she stepped back, unwittingly burying herself deeper into the crowd of onlookers. Some just seemed curious, others frightened. Why? She wasn’t even close to understanding. But that wasn’t what concerned her.

What concerned the girl as she searched over the faces that surrounded her were those who looked at her with fear, some of the men clutching something beneath their waistbands as they whispered amongst themselves feverishly. Fear… and confusion. A frightening mix. The kind that often lead to action and catching a slight glimmer shine from the waistband of a nearby merchant, Anna decided two things. One, that she would have to decline Oaken’s offer, and two, that food just went down a place on her list of priorities.

The redhead pushed through the crowd behind her, her nakedness and hunger being thrown out of mind. Hushed murmurs became angry shouts all around her. Her heart pounded in her chest.

Anna finally escaped the pulp of the crowd but they were all behind her now, an angry mob chasing behind her like she was a Frankenstein monster. As she ducked into a narrow alley, she fumed at the absurdity of it all. _Why the fuck am I being chased for being hungry!?_

She ducked through another alley. She knew they were still behind her, but with every turn, her pursuers dwindled until there were just two or three persistent gnats still on her tail. Her headache returned with a nasty vengeance. Just as she banked a corner into an open road she collided with something large and sturdy.

Or rather someone.

A man with dingy blonde hair turned around with a raised brow, watching the strawberry blonde hit the ground with a loud thump. “Whoa, what’s all the rushing about? You could really hurt someone,” he laughed like an oaf, offering a huge, gloved hand.

Anna eyed his hand cautiously but decided that if he were interested in killing her, helping her up would be really stupid. He pulled her up easily, like she was a paperweight, and Anna took the time to take in his… noble appearance. He wore a thick black tunic that looked to be made of some kind of animal hide, but whether that was deer or moose or bear, Anna was the wrong person to try to determine. His trousers seemed to be made of the same material. Wrapped around his waist was a thick light blue belt and his chest was adorned with a big gold button over his left breast. Despite his unkempt hair and oafish features, it was hard to miss the air of importance that surrounded the young man now eyeing her naked body with amusement.

“You must be new here,” he winked while Anna rolled her eyes. With everything that’s happened, bald nakedness had suddenly become the least interesting thing about her sudden appearance in this upside down place.

The shouting from behind her reminded the girl about her situation as two men rounded the corner, stopping just short of her and…

“General Bjorgman!” _Apparently his name is Bjorgman._ “I had no idea you were in town. A thousand apologies for the commotion here.” The older of the two gentlemen addressed the young man respectfully, offering a short bow.

“Commotion?” The general’s face suddenly fell into a more serious mug. “What seems to be the problem?”

“That girl!” The younger man, probably not more than thirty, stepped forward with an accusatory finger pointed straight at Anna. “She shouldn’t be here. She _can’t_ be here,” he spat.

The general sighed. Relief? Anna didn’t want to get her hopes up. Sure enough though, the goofy grin that previously adorned his face returned and he looked over Anna with a huff. “Yeah she looks real threatening,” the boy mocked childishly, earning some silent fuming from the least respectful of her two pursuers. “Besides, can or can’t be here isn’t a decision for us to make now is it?” His voice carried a slick undertone while his head nodded towards their right, down the empty road.

Anna knew she was missing the subtext of it all, but whatever it was that the general was suggesting certainly worked to inspire a renewed form of fear in both the faces of her pursuers. She officially decided she liked this messy blond oaf.

“Fine, but the folk here won’t be satisfied unless we can get answers as to what… _that_ , is doing here.” Anna frowned at the insult but chose not to make anything out of it. She was in no position to jeopardize what was happening in that moment. She let it go, behind the gritted teeth and clenched fists of course.

The older gentleman, graying and eyes squinted, piped in. “Yes please, take her to the queen. If anyone can figure out what’s happening here, it’s the royal sisters. That girl… she isn’t normal.”

“Yes, well.” The blond cleared his throat. “I was on my way to the castle just before all of this, I will ensure that the girl follows me to get answers. Is that okay with you?” He asked but he clearly didn’t seem to care, especially considering he started walking away before any of the men could answer him. It took Anna a few minutes to realize she should probably be following and the glares she was getting from the two young men who were giving her chase not too long ago was pretty good incentive.

Anna caught up to General Bjorgman’s side as the man strided down the dirt road. He looked over at her from the corners of his eyes with a smirk. “I apologize for them. They’re normally a lot more open to newcomers around here. I don’t know what you did to spook ‘em like that but-”

“I didn’t do anything!” Anna huffed. “And by the way, I still don’t know where _here_ even is!”

“Well if you think about it, it probably isn’t too hard to figure out,” he laughed. “What’s the last thing you remember before waking up here?”

“I don’t remember anything up till now.” Anna struggled with the remnants of her headache which was _finally_ starting to fade away into a light rhythm. “I remember basic details. My name, that I’m 19… I have a few foggy memories here and there but nothing coherent.”

“Hmm,” he hummed. “It’s fine. That happens sometimes. A lot of people hit their head on the way. Elsa and Rapunzel should be able to sort you out, maybe even jog your memories.”

“Who?”

“The royal sisters. It’s okay, you wouldn’t know about them. You’ll learn everything you need to as time goes on though. Soon you’ll be feeling right at home in our little town here.”

Anna opened her mouth to question the man further when a glimmer from the corner of her eye caught her attention. Teal eyes widened and her mouth flapped open as she took in the majesty of a building unlike any of the other structures around it. The glimmering walls that sparkled in the dim light cast over the sky like the hues of a setting sun. The glasslike structure that sat defiantly just at the head of the city, overlooking everything from a high hill was an imposing contrast to the gloomy brick and wood homes all around her. Its grandiose style seemed to be crafted with utmost care and detail, something Anna could tell even in the distance and that only became even more evident with every step she took closer.

“I’m guessing that’s the castle.” Anna breathed, still totally enraptured in the sight of it.

“You guess correctly, Red.” The general spoke while his attention fell on a stall just next to him, eyes scanning over the goods that were strewn over the merchant’s counter.

Anna narrowed her eyes at the nickname, crossing her arms in front of her bare chest. “My name is Anna.” 

“That’s nice Red,” he teased, earning a pout from the shorter girl. “But it’s not important to me.” The blond accepted a sack from the merchant with a gracious nod of his head before catching up with his distracted walking partner.

They reached a point where all the roads converged and there were no more buildings. Just an open dust plane with the castle being the only feature that could be seen for miles and even that, as Anna soon came to notice, sat jutting out from the edge of a cliff, clinging unnaturally to the rock. A grand staircase bridged the gap between the entrance and the ground beneath it.

_And am I freaking out or is it getting really chilly around here?_

“You might want to put these on.” He slammed the sack into her chest, knocking the air out of her lungs. “The ice castle will be cold, obviously, so unless you want your toes turning into icicles, you should get dressed before we get there.”

Anna may not have appreciated his attitude but she wasn’t about to turn down the opportunity to finally cover herself. She loosed the small string around the sack and watched everything fall to the ground. A pair of leather hiking boots, a thick crimson tunic, and a pair of light black trousers, similar to the general’s. While the rest of the ensemble was decidedly ordinary, the tunic itself looked expensive. Anna had never seen such a brightly dyed piece, and the veins of gold that ran through it seemed to sparkle like the real thing. Anna actually felt bad about letting such a nice piece hit the ground.

The tunic was the last thing she slid onto her body. The boots were the only things that actually fit. Everything else was just slightly too big. The redhead was struggling to hold her pants up while fuming at the general as he laughed his guts out. Eventually, he unravelled the sash around his waist and tied it around her, carefully adjusting his usual knots to match her petite figure.

The rest of the walk was quiet, aside from the oaf’s whistling, a bad habit she wasn’t prepared to get used to, Anna decided. The anticipation - but mostly the anxiety - of it all was preventing her from complaining about the man’s noise out loud though. By the time they made it to the base of the staircase, Anna felt her heart hammering in her chest. It actually drowned out the low grumble in her stomach, trying to forget her hunger considering the problems it’s caused up until now.

_If those guys before reacted like that, no way in hell I’m bringing that up around these guys. I might actually die!_

Anna swallowed thickly as she watched the blond walk ahead of her towards the large double doors, made of the same material as the walls that surrounded it. And windows. And roof…

_How is none of this melting right now!?_

She approached the staircase wearily, testing the first step, then the next one. She couldn’t walk nearly as confidently as General Bjorgman did, not when she could see the bottomless drop below these translucent steps and considered that the only thing between her and certain death was a staircase made of ice built in a place where snow seemed to be rare and the heat made her regret putting the thick clothing on. The ice itself gave off a certain chill, but not nearly enough to make this in any way _safe_.

Anna was snapped out of her thoughts just in time to slip through the creaking doors, General Bjorgman already inside. Stepping inside was like stepping into a giant freezer and Anna marvelled at the way her breath became a mist before her eyes. She cursed the man next to her for not supplying her with gloves as she stuck her hands beneath her armpits for warmth, squeezing her body in what she knew looked like an incredibly awkward hug.

Still, this place was absolutely breathtaking. Twin staircases on either sides of the foyer that met in the middle. A sculpted water, or rather ice, fountain meticulously crafted to look like actual water if not for the fact that it was frozen in place. Even the ice itself that made up the room glowed as if life was pumping through it.

“Who goes there?” A female voice echoed from the top of the staircase. The authority in the woman’s voice caused Anna to snap straight up, stiffening on command.

“It’s just me!” The general called back casually, making his way to the middle of the room.

“Just you?” The voice replied a lot… softer. Soft enough that Anna could appreciate the silk in her voice that mingled with the authority in her tone. “And I suppose your guest here is just an illusion?”

Light steps drew closer and Anna’s breath hitched. As the mess of platinum blonde entered her vision, she decided that she was just witnessing the most beautiful feature this gorgeous castle had to offer. Piercing icy blue eyes cut through her in a second. The woman looked down at her from the top of staircase and Anna felt her heart skip a beat, a warmth spreading to her cheeks instantly.

“What is your name?” she called in the same regal voice.

In her head, she answered. In her head, she flirted. In her head, she made the woman smile and laugh. In her head, the introduction went smoothly.

In reality, she said nothing minus the incoherent babbling that was falling from her lips. In reality, the woman looked at her confused and slightly irritated. In reality, _this was a trainwreck_.

“Her name is Anna.” General Bjorgman knocked the girl’s shoulders, snapping her back into reality and quite possibly dislocating something.

“I see.” The woman cocked her head. “How old were you, Anna?”

“Umm, 19…” Anna decided to ignore the use of past tense. _People around here are all weird._

“That is awfully young,” she commented despite not looking too much older herself. “And how did you die?”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“She doesn’t remember the details,” General Bjorgman supplied.

“Excuse me, what?”

“That’s unfortunate.” The platinum blonde made her way down the steps, eyes trained on Anna as she moved towards the girl who was frozen in place.

One hand grabbed her wrist and the other rested against her forehead and in that moment, if she wasn’t so confused and actually slightly terrified, Anna would have decided she was definitely in heaven. The slightly taller woman gazed deeply into her eyes and the heat that already stained her cheeks doubled down.

“This is… peculiar.” The woman spoke with a sudden hint of hesitation. “Kristoff, where did you find her?”

“In town. Causing trouble. Apparently she spooked some of the people in the market.” The general shrugged.

“Her body is radiating heat.”

“E-excuse me.” Anna finally piped up. “What’s happening here? Is something wrong with me or something? Why do you think I’m dead, I’m standing right in front of you? I mean, I love a good ghost story as much as the next guy...” A nervous chuckle fell from her lips. She was scared. She was babbling. She didn’t know what was happening, or why, but more than that, she was becoming more and more terrified that she was about to find out… and that she wouldn’t like it.

“The mere fact that you are standing here right now means that you have passed.” The woman spoke bluntly, a renewed confidence in her voice. “I may not know why your body is… doing the things it is, but I can assure you that you could not be here unless you died. It is simply not possible.”

“Whoa, look, I am not dead! I don’t know about you guys, but I know I’m not dead. That’s not possible.” Anna shook her head, stepping away from the blonde’s touch.

“Denial is common for newcomers,” she rebutted. “But if you need reassurance, my sister can examine you. Her magic will be able to shed some light on your situation.”

Anna blinked a few times. “I’m sorry, magic?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My goal is to update the first Sunday of every month starting from today. Hopefully I can keep that goal..


	3. Hospitality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always try to keep people aware of tag changes, so please note that I did make some changes to the tags. I don't want things to come as a shock at any point.

“There now, breathe in!”

“...”

“Come on deep breaths!”

“No.” Anna scowled from her seat, twisting her arms against the icy cuffs binding her limbs to the wooden arms of the chair. She had long given up on trying to kick out from the frozen shackles holding her legs in place, falling unsuccessfully and unceremoniously on her side and being unable to do anything about it four too many times.

“The quicker you cooperate, the sooner you get released.” The blonde watched her unimpressed. “I’m just here to help you know.”

“Then let me go,” the redhead growled between chattering teeth, yanking hard enough to pull the chair into the air at least an inch before it fell right back in place.

The blonde girl sighed. She was the only other occupant in the room. When the platinum blonde gave the order for Kristoff to guide Anna to the “examination room”, the girl’s panic hit an all time high. Without even thinking, she swung as hard as she could at the man’s jaw, satisfied with the crack she heard despite the bruises to her knuckles she knew would come. She barely had time to shake off the waves of pain before the general grabbed her in a bearhug, struggling to avoid being hit again by randomly flailing limbs.

He had to practically beg the icy woman to help him restrain Anna. Which she pointedly ignored and went back to whatever corner of the castle she was lurking in beforehand.

After about fifteen minutes of messy brawling and violent cursing, Kristoff was finally able to subdue the tiny but apparently _really strong_ redhead. Once the general had her flat on her stomach, face pressed against the ice floor and hands pinned behind her back, Anna finally gave in to the pants of exhaustion. Despite her best efforts, the man hadn't broken a sweat and his breaths were so calm and shallow it was as if they weren't there at all. He didn't even have a single bruise! It was as if all that fighting she did had never happened. 

At least he was merciful enough to give her a few seconds to catch her breath, and the cold from the ice was acting as a pretty decent sedative. Anna was moments away from passing out when her heart nearly leapt into her throat, the floor cracking harshly beneath her. Suddenly the cracking grew wild around her and frozen tendrils rose up all around her. Kristoff leapt off of her as quickly as he could while the ice wrapped itself around Anna’s limbs. She couldn’t even fight it as she was dragged down into the flooring, opening up beneath her like a monster’s maw and devouring her. 

The cold consumed her immediately. She could barely make out the figures above her, just blurs of color being closed in on by the darkness. The last thing her mind processed before completely giving in to the frigid darkness was the platinum blonde walking up to her and staring down at her through the ice. It was chilling how clear her face, so devoid of anything even remotely close to a human emotion, shown so clearly above the surface of what Anna decided would probably be her icy coffin. Her mind slipped away from her.

By the time Anna came to, she found herself bound to this chair in this room by herself. The room was far warmer than the foyer they entered through, being made of actual wood and brick, a lit fireplace melting the ice from her bones slowly. Anna shivered from head to toe, the light coats of melted frost dampening her hair and clothes, creating a mini puddle pooling under her bum in the chair she was stuck sitting in. 

When the other woman finally joined her, she met a very angry redhead shouting and cursing from the floor, yanking at her cuffs while the chair, laying on its side, scraped desperately against the hardwood floor. Anna paused for a short few seconds to take in the form of her visitor. A short barefooted young woman with big green eyes, she ran up to Anna spitting apology after apology as she helped get the girl’s chair upright again. Anna barely heard a word that came out of the other girl’s mouth, too mesmerized by the length of blonde hair that trailed well over a yard behind her.

“If you could calm down for about two seconds, this could all be over and done with.” The girl, who looked like she couldn’t be a day over eighteen, tried her best to coax Anna into a state of calm but the redhead flatout refused. 

_Calming down for just a second was what got me eaten by the fucking floor._ Anna growled in her own mind.

“Okay, okay,” the girl threw her hands up. “How about this? If you _promise_ not to try to hit me again when I approach you, I _promise_ not to knock you out with a frying pan!” Anna couldn’t tell if the grin on the girl’s face was genuine or mocking, but the threat was definitely not one to take lightly considering there were about eight different frying pans of all sizes hanging around a room that looked like a study. Anna wondered about those for all of five seconds. The largest one that hung right next to the fireplace was particularly… frightening. 

Anna gulped, but nodded complacently. Still, with every cautious step the girl took toward her, the more every strand of red hair stood. Nervous was an understatement. Since the moment she opened her eyes in this strange town it was as if everyone was out to get her! _Seriously, what is wrong with this- ohh!_

Anna moaned into the unexpected warmth that suddenly flowed through her skull. “That feels amazing,” she breathed, relaxing into the chair for the first time since she opened her eyes. She watched lazily as the girl diligently wrapped layer after layer of hair around her forehead like a bandage. 

“See how much better things can be when you cooperate?” The girl laughed as Anna hummed happily. “And now that I don’t think you want to rip my face off anymore, my name is Rapunzel. What I’m about to do might feel a bit intrusive so I want to make sure you’re completely comfortable with me.”

Anna was barely paying her any attention, practically getting drunk on the euphoric waves flowing through her. She slurred something that made Rapunzel quirk a brow before she started to quickly unwrap about two layers of the makeshift bandage. “Whoops, that might have been a bit too strong,” she chuckled nervously. “Can you repeat that for me?”

“Anna,” her voice still carried a slight slur to it. “Yer hair is magic?”

“That’s the simplified version, yes.”

“It’s so pretty,” Anna tried to reach up and touch the hair just inches from her, bright and glowing with a warm aura surrounding it. Of course, she forgot she was in shackles. The girl grumbled a bit under her breath, and Rapunzel stifled a giggle but did nothing to cover the big grin that grew across her face wordlessly. They were only a few inches apart, as Anna finally noted, as Rapunzel was leaning toward her, diligently carrying out her work. Anna finally noticed the brightness in the other girl’s eyes and the freckles, less apparent than her own but still very much there, that dotted her nose. “You’re so pretty.”

Rapunzel fumbled. Anna stammered. 

“No, no, I didn't mean it like that! Not that you're not pretty, what I mean is-”

“Anna relax, I know what you mean. Thank you.” Anna let out the biggest sigh of relief the blonde had ever seen and Rapunzel laughed mischievously. “Nothing wrong with having an appreciation for the fairer sex.”

Anna’s face burned. 

“Oh now that's interesting.” Rapunzel commented just as the door behind them opened and the familiar clack of heels made itself known.

“What is?” That silky tone caused Anna’s heart to sink. The last time she saw that woman, the encounter ended with her being eaten by the floor.

“Calm down Anna,” Rapunzel whispered to her soothingly, not even having to sense the way all the girl’s muscles tensed up. “Remember to breathe. I'm here with you. Relax.”

With Rapunzel’s coaching Anna’s arms visibly started to relax, but the scowl on her face didn’t drop at all. She eyed the taller blonde warily as the woman walked toward them, cautiously observing every step and every swing until she stopped just a few feet away. 

“It seems our new guest is not too fond of me.”

“No kidding Els, what did you do?” Rapunzel spoke evenly, trying her best to keep herself from accidentally riling Anna up again. The concern in her low voice was still very much apparent. All the concern that her sister’s face lacked.

The older girl brushed off the question with a shrug before bringing her arms down and crossing them in front of her chest. “So, cause of death?”

Rapunzel frowned at her sister but shook it off easily, returning her gaze to Anna while another bright smile painted its way across her lips. Her answer came confidently, if not excitedly. “None.”

She quirked a brow. “I beg your pardon?”

“She’s alive Elsa! Like with a heartbeat and everything!” Her voice went up an octave with every word until it reached near squeaking level. “I don’t know how, or why, or… or…” Rapunzel struggled to keep up with her own train of thought.

“There must be a trauma site.” Elsa insisted, dropping her arms to her side. “Or perhaps she is comatose. We have had cases like that before, where people walking the thin line between life and death appear an-”

Elsa was thrown from her thoughts when her sister grabbed her hand and looked her in the eyes, her head shaking steadily. “I considered that, but there isn’t a single grain of brain damage. Her heart is beating, albeit faintly. The only thing I can find outwardly wrong is that she’s slightly malnourished, I think. Anna. _Is_. Alive.”

“I told you.” Anna spat from her seat finally, never compromising the mistrust in her face. Elsa’s cold eyes flicked over Anna for but a moment, but that was all it took to set the fiery redhead off again. She yanked at her cuffs suddenly, causing Rapunzel to jump slightly. “So, let me go.”

“Rapunzel, normally I would never second guess you on matters such as this. You are, after all, the expert.” Elsa put a hand up to her head, visibly stressed but still purposely ignoring Anna’s demand and dirty looks. “You must have missed something.”

“Wow, denial does not look good on you sis.” A comment that made Elsa narrow her eyes at her younger sister. Rapunzel laughed it off turning back to Anna, finally taking the time to completely unwrap their guest. “You must be hungry! Kristoff just brought back the most delicious foodstuff from the next town over. It’s nothing like what you’re probably used to, but it’s to die for!” Rapunzel bit a trembling lip, barely holding back a fit of giggles and completely failing. She moved a finger up to flick away the imaginary tears with a “Whoo”. “It’s funnier with someone that’s not dead!”

“I could use food.” Anna’s face finally softened. Her stomach grumbled as if to agree.

“We are not feeding it.” Elsa bit. “If she is indeed alive, then she is definitely not human. We have to be careful of it.”

“Oh now I’m not human!?” Anna would have lunged at her if the restraints didn’t make her fall right back into place, rocking the chair violently. “Fuck you! I’ll show you who’s an ‘it’ you frigid ass bitch!”

Before anyone could react, Anna’s face was completely covered in the grip of an icy hand, large enough to grab her entire skull easily. Elsa’s outstretched hand mimicked the attack, puppeteering the hand as she used it to force back Anna’s head, the chair barely balancing on its hind legs. With a flick of the wrist from her other hand, Elsa willed away the cuffs around Anna’s arms but left her legs bound, chuckling as the redhead’s hands shot up and attempted to peel the phantom hand off of her face. The ice didn't budge. It didn't even chip in the slightest. Elsa could imagine that the girl was spewing curse after curse considering how angry the muffled screaming sounded. She smiled.

A tug at her arm made Elsa pull back just enough for the chair to fall back to the floor with a crippling force. She looked at her sister from the corner of her eye, taking in the concern written all over the girl’s face. Elsa clicked her tongue. Rapunzel knew how to get her own way. “Come on Elsa, I think that's enough. Let Anna go and we can figure things out over the dinner table. For now can you just play nice?” Elsa frowned at her sister’s choice of words. “For me?” Rapunzel added with a flutter of her lashes.

With a roll of her eyes and a sigh, Elsa released the shackles around Anna’s ankles and pulled her forward before finally dispelling her magic, causing the girl to fall face first onto the hardwood floor. Anna groaned from the floor and spat out something that sounded vaguely like “Fuck”. Rapunzel hopped on her toes and laid a quick peck on her sister’s jaw. “I’m lucky you love me.”

With a short laugh, Elsa’s expression formed into a soft smile. “Tis not you that is lucky dear sister,” she mused before pressing her lips into the shorter girl’s forehead.

_*-*_

“I don’t know what's scarier, the fact that she's alive, or the fact that she’s still alive with the way she eats.” Kristoff watched the redhead with disgust, Rapunzel sitting right next to him with a face lit up in amazement.

They watched as Anna devoured everything on the plates in front of her, barely sparing a moment to breathe. The spread across the grand table mostly consisted of meats and berries, a pitcher of water in the center of it all. She barely touched the water and her utensils laid neglected on their plate.

“Seriously, who eats like that?” The general threw his hands up.

“You did when you first got here.” Rapunzel pointed out smugly. 

“So did you.” Elsa chimed in casually, plopping a tiny berry in her mouth, making an effort to ignore just how much the redhead’s behaviour irked her.

“The real question is how can you guys help yourselves when the food is so good?” Anna finally spoke, washing down possibly pounds of food with just a single gulp of water. “Seriously Bjorgman, you are an excellent cook,” she raised her glass with a smile.

He puffed his chest with a broad grin, meeting her glass with his own. “It’s been a while since anyone has appreciated my cooking! These two damsels here have been spoiled and don’t understand how great they have it. I like you already Red,” he winked.

Rapunzel joined in the toast with a giggle. “I’m glad I asked Kristoff to cook so much. You looked like a girl that could really put it down, didn’t want to take any chances.”

“Did you just call me fat?” Anna laughed playfully, taking Rapunzel’s teasing in stride. “I normally don’t eat so much.”

“Well I could tell that you hadn’t eaten in a while. Plus all this stress with a new environment and well, being alive but somehow ending up here,” Rapunzel rambled. “Normally we only make teensy tiny portions, just enough to taste. Eating is more like a hobby around here.”

Anna’s mind flashed back to what Oaken said to her earlier. “Right, you guys don’t get hungry.” She falls back in her seat, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “So wait, how does that work? Do you guys like, not poop? How do you get rid of what you eat?”

Kristoff and Elsa both choke on the miniscule bits of food in their mouth while Rapunzel nearly falls over in laughter. 

“There are certain things you simply do not mention at a dinner table. Or ever. Do you even know what manners are?” Elsa hissed, reaching for her glass of water.

“Coming from you?” Anna rolled her eyes with a huff. “You attacked me _twice_. I think having manners dictates that you don’t constantly attack and insult your guests. Does the word ‘hospitality’ mean anything to you?”

“Maybe if those guests were _invited_ and _welcomed_ ,” The blonde bit back.

“Well it’s not like I asked to come here! I still don’t even know where _here_ is! And in case you haven’t noticed, you’re the only one that hasn’t invited or welcomed me! It’s not like I want to be here ya know!” Anna’s voice was steadily rising into an aggressive yell, hands flat on the table as she started to rise from her seat, sitting just opposite the woman who was really starting to piss her off! Elsa mirrored her movements, the dreaded crack of ice popping beneath her fingertips, embedding itself into the old wooden table.

“Good, then go back to where you came from. The sooner, the better.” There was an uncharacteristic grumble rising from the woman’s throat.

“I will, just point the way!”

“Maybe I should just kill you now, who cares where your soul ends up!”

“Woah, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here!” Kristoff launched out of his seat, chuckling nervously as he attempted to diffuse the situation. “But that does bring up a very important point. No matter how you look at it, Anna doesn’t belong here, period. We need to figure out how she got here, why she’s here, if we can get her home, and if we can, how.” He made sure his voice was calm and tempered, trying his best to dampen emotions and bring everyone to level ground. “Any ideas?”

The room went silent. Elsa slid gracefully into her seat while Anna plopped herself down, but neither made an effort to continue their fight. Kristoff was right, they knew.

“Well as it stands, I do not see any reason to break proper registration procedures.” Elsa finally broke the silence.

“Registration?” Anna echoed as Rapunzel smiled from her seat.

“Yes, that’s true. And if anyone would have any information on this, it should be the record-keeper right?” The younger of the sisters added. “She’s read everything the Archives have to offer so many times she’s practically a walking history book for this place.”

“So I have to get registered?” Anna wondered aloud.

“Well, you skipped a step by coming here first, but for good reason I suppose. Normally once one finds themselves in this town and they have had time to settle and come to grips with their new state of being, the merchants would point them in the direction of the Archives. At the Archives, you meet the time and record keepers, who will record the details of your death and will point you to any family members that you can reconnect with that is already settled here.” Elsa explained. “Normally after that you come here and Rapunzel acts as a guide of our town, and will help you find work, allowing you to fit seamlessly into our town’s ways.”

“We can go to the Archives and then I can give you a tour!” Rapunzel hopped from her seat with a squeak. “Ooh, this is going to be the best tour ever!”

“And I shall join you two.” Elsa added. It was a statement rather than a request.

“And I’ll tag along to make sure Ice Queen here doesn’t rip Anna’s head off.” Kristoff crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Anna wasn’t sure what else to say. “So when do we leave?”


	4. Interesting

Nervous... was an understatement.

So many familiar faces in the crowd. They were all watching Anna with the same murderous intent they had when she had left. Or perhaps she was being paranoid?

Whatever the case may be, nobody dared take a step out of place as Elsa and Rapunzel walked to the front of the group, arms interlocked as Rapunzel bounced excitedly from stall to stall, shooting off quick questions to the merchants who barely had any time at all to respond before another shiny thing caught her attention. 

It was at this time that Anna had the greatest appreciation for how different the two sisters really were. It was so obvious, it seemed almost intentional. Rapunzel was this huge wave of comforting, friendly energy while Elsa was awfully cold and reserved. The only person she seemed to ever smile at was her little sister who was, at the moment, the center of her attention. Rapunzel wore a single pink dress to cover her body, not even bothering with shoes, while Elsa wore this flashy, elaborate blue dress that glimmered almost the same as ice with a pair of heels to match the majesty. 

“If you keep ogling them like that you’re going to burn a hole in their brains.” Kristoff commented with a smirk, watching Anna from the corner of his eyes as she clutched onto his left sleeve for dear life.

“I wasn’t _ogling_ them.” Anna huffed. “It’s just hard to believe they’re sisters. They’re just so different.”

Kristoff laughed. “They’re not identical twins ya know. Siblings tend to be pretty different from each other. I’m guessing you didn’t have any.”

Anna shrugged, digging the tip of her boot into the ground and kicking up dust. “Don’t think so. Can’t remember.”

The crowd stayed close to the walls as the group passed. It reminded Anna of how people make way for VIP’s. Then she remembered what those men from earlier called the two. _The ‘Royal Sisters’ huh?_

“So these two are like, big deals around here?”

“The biggest.” Kristoff replied with a roll of the eyes. “You’ll learn.”

They had just passed Oaken, and Anna didn’t miss the way the large man’s eyes narrowed as he watched her, pausing in the middle of whatever conversation he was having with a neighboring merchant that seemed to be showing him a jar of... something.

“So how far until we get to this Archives place?” She pressed just a little closer to the General.

“Nervous? Nobody’s going to touch you with us around. The worst they can do is look at you funny, and even that can only go so far.” Kristoff assured in his usual confidence. “The Archives are at the center of town, which is only a little ways past the market here. Though I should probably-”

“Anna! Check this out!” Rapunzel yelled excitedly from a stall far ahead of the two. When did they get that far away? 

Anna broke away from Kristoff for the first time since they left the castle, hustling over to the humble wooden stand. She didn't miss the way Elsa rolled her eyes in annoyance as she approached, but she thought better than to pick a fight. Instead she focused on the bubbly ray of sunshine that was practically vibrating with excitement in front of a batch of…

“Marbles?” Anna looked at the blonde quizzically as she joined her in front of the stand, the merchant’s once toothy grin falling into a frown the moment he saw the redhead. 

“Pods,” the old man practically hissed at her, face riddled with offense. His expression shifted quickly as he looked back over at Rapunzel, rubbing his hands together as he watched the girl happily look over his scattered collection of marble-like orbs. The small iridescent balls were barely the size of ping-pong balls, but they all gave off vivacious glows, bright even in all the daylight. “As you can see Princess, these are some very uncommon ones as well. You won't find these for miles.”

“And where did you acquire them?” Elsa stepped closer to the two, shoving past Anna as she stood next to her sister protectively. She eyed the merchant with little care, and her simple desire to simply inject herself was clear, although everyone was smart enough not to show it and especially not to comment.

“The outskirts of Tarzan. I found them in my travels.”

“The Overseer of Tarzan does not part so easily with her ‘children’. How did you convince her?” Elsa’s question seemed to pique the interests of the girls around her, though for entirely different reasons. Anna watched curiously, not understanding a word of what was happening. What she did understand though, was that the merchant was clearly unnerved by the question, his eyes bugging out of his head and looking as though he could break out into a sweat any minute now.

“Well negotiations were indeed intense, but in the face of my generous offer- Hey, don't touch that!” The old man slapped Anna’s creeping hand away from an orb that gave off a particularly lively glow, swirls of turquoise and forest greens dancing across the surface as though they were at play. It sat at the corner of the table, partially covered by the merchant’s oversized green cloak but that didn’t stop the curious redhead from being attracted to its ethereal glow. 

“I’m sorry, that one was just kinda calling out to me!” Anna raised her hands in defense. She wasn’t even sure when she started reaching out to the orb.

“You like it?” Rapunzel hopped, much to the dismay of the old salesman. She looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes. “What would you like for that one?”

At this point everyone’s eyes widened at the younger princess and Kristoff had finally made his way over to see what all the commotion was about. The merchant sputtered while Elsa’s mouth flapped open. Anna couldn’t stop the smile that split across her lips. The redhead tried to hide her excitement but failed miserably. “Rapunzel, you really don’t have to, I mean I don’t even know what it is, or what it does, or even the first thing about taking care of… whatever it is! I wouldn’t even know what to do with it, like how often would I have to polish it to keep it that beautiful? Plus, it’s probably really expensive, I can’t-”

Rapunzel scoffed. “Come on Anna, you know you really want it, and I can teach you all about everything like ‘proper pod care’,” she giggled between air quotes. “How are you going to learn about this place if you’re too scared to experience it?”

“Anna’s buying a pod? Nice.” Kristoff commented, fishing a small sack from the pocket of his thick black pants. He pulled the thin drawstring and revealed a palm full of sparkling multi-colored rocks. “What’s he asking for it?”

“How much?” Rapunzel asked again, this time pressing her palms into the wood of his small stand, bouncing with a toothy smile.

“I’m sorry P-princess, I simply can’t…” the merchant’s eyes shifted as if he was looking for a way out, stuffing the pod into his cloak and out of sight. “Surely I can interest you in another-”

“No, Anna liked that one! So that’s the one I want.” The young blonde’s face suddenly turned serious, her smile pulling into a tight-lipped frown and her brows furrowing. “Are you trying to tell me that you won’t sell it to me?”

“Why would a pod salesman not sell a pod that was on his table?” Kristoff asked far louder than necessary, drawing the attention of everyone around them. The merchant began to buckle under the attention. “Are you running some kind of scam here or something? Is anything here really for sale?”

Whispers surrounded them. Anna fiddled with a small gold tassel that hung from the hem of her crimson tunic, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. Watching the way the crowds spoke feverishly around them, eyes narrowed towards the poor whimpering man. It felt like bullying. Her voice came out softer than she wanted. “Maybe we should just leave it alone.”

“Nonsense,” Rapunzel waved Anna off sternly. She looked up at the redhead, eyes determined and smile short but sweet. “Let me do this for you.” Rapunzel turned back towards the trembling man, hands clasped atop the wooden surface in front of her and all evidence of mirth wiped clean from her face. Anna imagined the girl was trying to look intimidating. Anyone else probably would have made that look intimidating but well… Rapunzel’s childlike face and the way her lip twitched as if not smiling was the hardest thing she’s ever attempted made it all just look strangely comical. Anna found herself struggling to stifle a chuckle at the girl’s attempts at looking serious.

That is, until a cold chill struck her. Anna couldn’t identify where exactly it struck her, but the frost felt like it spread through every nerve in her body. She lifted her hand in front of her face just to be sure she wasn’t freezing to death, then hugged her small body beneath the thick clothes adorning her, trying her best not to tremble. She was surprised she couldn’t see her own short gasps materialize in front of her with how cold everything felt. With pained exasperation, Anna’s eyes drew up just in time to catch the pure irritation swirling in the pair of icy blue eyes glaring past Rapunzel and straight at her. The scowl on Elsa’s face was one that Anna was finding herself becoming annoyingly familiar with but before she could make her anger known, the Ice Queen’s attention shifted to the man behind the stand and Anna could immediately tell he was hit with the same kind of paralyzing cold. His whole body went rigid and he seemed to be struggling just to breath.

“O-okay, I’ll sell it to you.” His voice came out strained and strangled while his hand flew up to clutch his chest.

Elsa turned to look at Kristoff, all the irritation hidden behind her usual mask of cold. She grabbed the whole fistful of rocks he held and tossed them onto the table, watching them scatter about. “I think this is far more than generous for a single pod.” She ignored the questioning looks Kristoff and Rapunzel sent her in favor of staring down the merchant.

He hesitated. “Y-... yes m’lady, of course. Thank you.” Slowly, he pulled the pod from beneath his cloak, rolling it thoughtfully between his fingers before carefully placing it on the table, his eyes sorrowful but lacking in the resolve to continue this one sided barter. “Just… understand. This is no ordinary pod. I can’t honestly tell what will come of it.”

Rapunzel reached across the table and grabbed the pod, the orb barely fitting in her small grip. The smile on her face returned full bloom as she spun to look at Anna. Only after Rapunzel looked at her with girlish excitement did Anna realize that the gripping cold had left her and she was able to stand up straight once again, as if it never happened. That didn’t change her frustration with the woman that caused it in the first place. _Unprovoked, might I add,_ Anna thought with a huff.

Elsa had already begun walking away, Kristoff at her heels complaining about the price she paid and going on about the importance of haggling. It was obvious that Elsa was tuning him out though.

Anna was pulled away from her thoughts when she felt a tugging at her sash and she looked down to see Rapunzel tying a bag at her hip that barely did any good at concealing the bright glow of the pod inside it. She was careful to loop the soft light blue fabric of the sash over the bag to conceal it. Watching the way Rapunzel’s brows furrowed in concentration, a small tongue peeking out between slightly parted lips, Anna felt a slight rush of heat rise up to her cheeks. The blonde continued at her work diligently, her knee in the dust as she kneeled in front of Anna while her hands pulled the sash into one final tight loop. “There,” she announced with a smile, hopping back up to her feet and smoothing a hand over Anna’s tunic. “By the way, these clothes suit you very well.” 

And the blush intensified. Rapunzel shot her a bright smile and chuckled at the redhead’s incoherent babbling, the only real words that escaped her lips at some point being a soft-spoken “Thank you”.

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. Her hands swung out and grabbed one of Anna’s, the shock obvious in the girl’s face as Rapunzel pulled her forward towards the rest of their group, their hands locked securely together. “Come on! We’ll get left behind!”

_*-*_

The four stood before a large stone building, the sheer size alone separating it from the buildings around it. In height, Anna figured it could rival the sisters’ Ice Palace. Or maybe it was taller than even that. Anna wasn’t sure. All she knew was that she would probably snap her neck if she continued trying to look up at the imposing building in front of her.

The other three had already started up the steps to the door of the gothic cathedral by the time Anna had snapped out of her awe and ran up the steps to stand beside them. Her stomach felt unsettled as Kristoff rapped a huge fist against the large wooden doors and stepped back.

“So, this is the Archive huh? Looks more like a church than anything else.” Anna commented absent-mindedly, her nervousness forcing her to say anything to relieve herself from her ominous thoughts of what could be on the other side of that door. The gargoyles that seemed to be watching them from the top of the bell tower that peaked the building weren’t exactly soothing her imagination. She could even swear one of them moved.

“We prefer the term ‘Archive’ and it functions more as such.” Elsa spoke matter-of-factly, a slight bit of irritation evident in her voice.

Before Anna could comment on Elsa’s tone, the door creaked open slowly. The sisters led the way, not the least bit perturbed by the eeriness of it all. Meanwhile, Anna wasn’t even sure how to use her legs at the moment. She almost fell over when Kristoff planted a hard slap into her back.

“Come on Red, don’t tell me you’re scared.” The dirty blond oaf winked at her with a chuckle. “Don’t worry, the keepers are cool. A little off, but so is everyone else around here really.”

Anna gulped but nodded despite her apprehensions. Still, General Bjorgman found himself having to drag the girl through the doors and into the dark room that greeted them. Anna struggled to see what was in front of them, the only source of light came from behind the giant stained glass windows, hues of purples and greens raining down over the large foyer. 

From what Anna could make out however, it was very much a cathedral, even if one ignored the heavenly depictions lining the other side of the building. There was a sink in the floor a few steps ahead of them where rows and rows of unoccupied seats took up half the room. Pillars of carved black stone stretched way up to the high ceilings, faces and details Anna couldn’t make out in the dark but for some reason, made her feel that she would probably rather it stay that way.

Once Kristoff pressed the door back shut, Anna nearly jumped out of her skin when the candles on the pillars all came to life at once, flames sparking atop their wicks bright and powerful, bathing the room in an orange glow similar to that of the odd sun that hung in the sky.

“Queen Elsa! Princess Rapunzel! It’s a pleasure, truly it is!” A voice rang out from seemingly every direction. Anna found herself shaking in her oversized boots despite the admittedly gentle chime in the decidedly masculine voice. Suddenly, Anna spotted a shadow descending quickly from one of the creepy black pillars to their right. Her hair stood on end and it was only by the pure shock of it all that her body froze and jaw slammed shut to prevent the scream bubbling up from her throat. It landed with a heavy thud and shook off the shockwave that would cripple any normal human being like it was nothing before making its way towards the group.

The figure, a man that stood at least two heads shorter than Anna, limped towards them but the only thing the redhead could focus on was the deformed shape of his back and then, the growth just over his eye. Eventually, she tried to settle her nerves by focusing on the kind but crooked smile he wore as he looked upon the group. “General Bjorgman, it’s been too long!”

“It has!” Kristoff smiled and stepped forward to meet the disfigured man, offering what looked and sounded like a strong handshake. A pained grunt from the general however made it obvious who won their little bout of strength. “One day I’ll have a grip like yours Quasi.”

“It comes with the job,” he chuckled. Suddenly, he caught sight of Anna and his smile grew. It was enough to almost cause the girl to relax. Almost. “A new arrival?”

He stopped just in front of the sisters, though his eyes remained glued on Anna until he swept himself into a low bow before the girls.

“Quasimodo, this is Anna.” Rapunzel introduced the shell shocked redhead with a gesture of her hands.

“Anna,” he tested the name in his mouth before nodding at the girl. “I am Quasimodo, the time keeper around here. Do you have a last name?”

“Oh umm, I… I think I do. I mean, I don’t really remember.” Anna stuttered in response, caught off guard. 

“That’s fine. Nothing we can’t sort out,” Quasimodo assured with another smile. Anna decided he might not be so scary after all, despite his monstrous appearance. He strode past them and over to a small heavy-looking stone door on their left. “Please everyone follow me.”

He pushed the door open with very little effort, making casual conversation with the sisters as he did so, revealing an almost equally large room with bookshelves acting as pillars and discarded books piled up in small mountains scattered about the floor. There was another stained glass window on the opposite side of the wall facing them, though considerably smaller than the one in the main foyer.

Bathing in the glow of off-white, just atop a large ladder pressed against a bookshelf to the far end of the room, a woman in a simple blue and white dress sat, feet dangling lazily as she stared dreamily into the pages of the book cradled in her hands.

Quasimodo ran towards her, catching her attention as he announced. “We have company. The Royal Sisters, the General, and a new arrival.”

She didn’t say anything, though her eyes scanned over the group curiously before landing on Quasimodo once more. She closed her book and reached over to place it into an empty spot near her, her attention still glued on the misshapen man as he approached the ladder, stopping just in front of it. Anna’s eyes widened when she saw him stretch out his arms. 

Anna was no good with measurement, but even she could tell that the woman was up at least thirty feet, possibly higher. There was no way-

Anna’s eyes slammed shut when the girl scooted herself over the edge of the ladder, her ears perking up as they anticipated the sounds of cracking bones on cobblestone floors. When all she heard was a soft thud, she wearily peeked her eyes open, still half-expecting a bloody scene. Instead she saw the brunette woman being helped to her feet as she slid safely out of Quasimodo’s arms, a soft smile playing across her red lips.

The two made their way over to the group, hands still interlocked all the way up until they were just a few steps away from the four. The woman pulled her hand away only to offer a curtsy to the three blondes, and then a soft smile as she acknowledged Anna’s presence.

For the first time ever, Anna saw Elsa offer a genuine smile to someone other than her own sister. “It is always a pleasure to see you Belle.” The normally cold woman gave a soft nod.

“And you, Queen Elsa. I always look forward to visits from you and your sister. They always mean you have something interesting for me!” Her smile grew as she already moved to examine Anna, prodding and poking at the redhead’s face. A particularly sharp poke to the stomach almost caused Anna to lose the lunch she enjoyed at the palace. She barely stopped herself from gagging, choking it back as the burning bile made its way up the back of her throat. Belle only eyed her curiously, her eyes sparkling with a dangerous glint. “I see this time will be no exception!”


End file.
